Esper has clashed with Trump over a variety of topics since the summer.
President Donald Trump announced Monday that he had fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper, ousting one of his top Cabinet officials just days after losing his reelection bid.
In a pair of tweets, Trump wrote that Esper had “been terminated” and that he would be replaced by National Counterterrorism Center Director Christopher Miller, who will lead the Pentagon in an acting capacity. Miller also worked on counterterrorism at the Department of Defense and at the National Security Council, and is trusted by the president, according to a current and former defense official.
The shake-up comes after reports that Esper had prepared a letter of resignation in recent days, and after lawmakers, former defense officials and military experts urged him to remain in his post to ensure a smooth presidential transition. On Saturday, POLITICO reported that top Senate leaders also pressed the White House to keep Esper in his position, but noted that Trump has a history of ignoring advice and firing his leaders by tweet.
Since the summer, Esper and Trump have clashed over a number of issues, especially the president’s threat to use active-duty troops to quash civil unrest.
……..
- Discussion
-
Trump says he has fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper, ousting one of his top Cabinet officials just days after losing his reelection bidhttps://t.co/SHnPcsZNCL
— POLITICO (@politico) November 9, 2020
Esper has been "terminated" https://t.co/G202bir4rg
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) November 9, 2020
I don't know. I assume this is all score-settling, but everyone around Trump better be watching him closely, as he now has an acting SECDEF. https://t.co/CSmPI69VLC
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) November 9, 2020
There’s currently a Senate-confirmed Deputy Secretary of Defense — David Norquist. Under 10 U.S.C. § 132(b), *he* is supposed to become Acting Secretary in the event of a vacancy.
Unless Trump fired him, too. pic.twitter.com/sZNlwq0SGG
— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) November 9, 2020
Esper wasn’t sufficiently loyal to Trump and that’s why he was sacked. In Trumpyland one is not loyal to country and Constitution; one is loyal to the two-bit dictator wannabe in the Oval Office.
Well, I guess this firing gives Trump something job-related to do. He’s not doing anything else except cry about voter fraud
If Trump moves on to fire the head of the CIA and the head of the FBI, both true professionals and patriots, we are going to be in uncharted waters for the next 90 days. It all has terrible “burn it down” on the way out feeling. It is playing with fire with our nations security
— stavridisj (@stavridisj) November 9, 2020
This rather chilling prediction comes from an email exchange I had in SEPTEMBER with a former top Pentagon official who served in high level govt roles in several previous admins:
“The period between November 3 and January 20 promises to be the most anarchic in our history…
— John Kruzel (@johnkruzel) November 8, 2020
Well, if you're gonna fire your SECDEF, might as well stop getting intelligence briefings or defending the country at all. #YOLO https://t.co/3FuTE7dDry
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) November 10, 2020
When Mattis resigned as Sec Defense because he opposed a haphazard withdrawal from Syria and Afghanistan, elite Republicans put up a bit of a fuss.
When Trump fires Esper for that job in retaliation for his refusal to use military force against civilian protestors, crickets.
— Jacob T. Levy (@jtlevy) November 10, 2020
All roads lead back to @DevinNunes, @RudyGiuliani, and @realDonaldTrump! #JoeBiden #KamalaHarris -January 20, 2021. #LevRemembers https://t.co/h6iCBcHnDz pic.twitter.com/IXwrjojXQ2
— Lev Parnas (@levparnas) November 10, 2020
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.